This part of Scripture speaks of Moses and the place outside the camp where people could go to inquire of the Lord. It was called a "Tent of Meeting." It was here that Moses spent time with the Lord and heard from Him as a friend speaks to a friend. It was here that Moses pleaded with the Lord on behalf of Israel.
But in the description of this Tent of Meeting is something interesting -- and disturbing.
"Whenever Moses went out to the Tent of Meeting, all the people would get up and stand in the entrances of their own tents. They would all watch Moses until he disappeared inside. As he went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and hover at its entrance while the Lord spoke with Moses. When the people saw the cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, they would stand and bow down in front of their own tents."
-- Exodus 33:8-10Moses was in the habit of going to the Tent of Meeting. The people were in the habit of watching. Though they seem reverent by standing and bowing, they're nowhere near the actual presence of the Lord because the Tent was located outside the camp. The people recognized the Lord because of the cloud, but they reverenced the Lord from afar.
The challenge set before us was this: It's time to quit worshiping at the entrance of our own tents -- our tents of self-reliance, our tents of busy schedules, our tents of ___________ (fill in the blank). If we want to see the presence of the Lord in our lives, we've got to leave our tents, take steps away and enter the Tent of Meeting.
The next day, my husband and I went to see "War Room", a story of an older woman who teaches a younger woman how to pray, thus changing the course of the young woman's family. The absolute high point of this movie for me was the prayer at the very end. I'll get to that prayer in a minute. But first it must be pointed out that the War Room spoken of in the movie is a dedicated place of prayer, worship, and spiritual battle. It is a modern example of the "prayer closet;" it's a Tent of Meeting.
We need to establish a War Room, a Tent of Meeting, a prayer closet -- I don't care what you call it -- but we need to get one! And we need to get inside it. And seek the Lord with all our heart. In that room we can bare our hearts and souls before a loving God who longs to change us and change the world around us. In that room we can lift up our concerns for loved ones, for the people that frustrate us, for the situations that stymie us. In that room we can war against the enemy of our souls and finally fight "right" instead of fighting against false obstacles. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Eph. 6:12)
It was a great weekend! Humbling, but great. As I start this new week, I'm reminded that I need to get into that Tent of Meeting, that War Room. I need to worship the Lord and pray as Clara prayed at the end of the movie:
You are good and You are mighty and You are merciful. Praise You Jesus!
Guide me to who You want me to help. Raise up more that will call upon Your name.
Lord, we need an army of believers that will stand on your Word above all else. Raise up warriors, Lord, who will fight on their knees, who will worship You with their whole hearts, Lord.
Lord, call us to battle that we may proclaim You King of kings and Lord of lords. I pray these things with all my heart.
Raise 'em up Lord, raise 'em up!
"Raise up more that will call upon Your name." This phrase is stuck in my brain. Our world is a mess. If ever there's a time for us to call upon His name, it's now. We need an army of believers who will daily enter the War Room -- the Tent of Meeting -- and meet with the Lord, be transformed by Him, and minister Him to others.
RAISE UP MORE THAT WILL CALL UPON YOUR NAME.
Are you one of them?
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